Helen Beckman

Helen Beckman, 99, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 6, 2025, in Sugar Land, Texas. She is survived by her loving daughter, Marilyn Milewits; her grandchildren, Alyssa (Mark) Faulkenberg and Sharon (Brett) Kobelin; and great-grandchildren, Mathew and Adriana Faulkenberg, and Isabella, Juliette, and Hunter Kobelin; and daughter-in-law, Jamie Beckman. She was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Nathan (Nat) Beckman; her son, Jerrold Beckman; her brother, Dr. Joel Gross; and her son-in-law, Dr. Marvin Milewits. Born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 26, 1926, to Russian parents Morris and Ruth Gross, Helen had a lifelong passion for learning and loved to read and write. She thrived at Franklin K. Lane High School, where she participated in French, Latin, and Civics clubs and served on the “Echoes” literary staff for the yearbook. At age 16, Helen entered Brooklyn College. Tragically, during her final exams, her beloved father suffered a fatal heart attack. As a result, Helen left college to help support her family. Driven by a deep desire to continue her education, she returned to school 20 years later- while raising two children- and earned a BA in Education from Brooklyn College. She later pursued a Master’s in Library Science from St. John’s University, all while managing her household and working. Her degree enabled her to work as a technical services librarian for an insurance company based in the World Trade Center. When the company moved to upstate New York, Helen retired, and she and her husband moved to Tamarac, Florida. Nat, outgoing and social, became president of the local AARP chapter and led several community clubs. Helen, more reserved, worked diligently behind the scenes, quietly and effectively organizing fundraisers and supporting Nat’s many endeavors. Together, they enjoyed traveling the world with friends and grandchildren, creating cherished memories during their time in Florida. After Nat’s passing, Helen moved to Houston to be closer to her children. Reflecting on Helen’s life, it is fitting to share her own words from her coming-of-age story, “What My Senior Button Means to Me” written in her senior yearbook at Franklin K. Lane High School: “If my Senior Button could speak, what a great story it would tell! It would talk of all the joyful anticipations and poignant disappointments I experienced in dear old Lane. Four years have I spent within its halls, steadily climbing the stormy paths of knowledge, sometimes stumbling over wayside rocks, but always getting up again and continuing on my way…Whenever I wish to recall instances of my happy life in Lane, you will refresh my mind with vivid pictures of my adventures. I will preserve and cherish you to eternity. You are the symbol of that hard, winding road I have traveled across through dear old Lane…” A livestream of the service will be available at the following link: https://venue.streamspot.com/f8d04b5b

Helen Beckman

March 26, 1926 - June 6, 2025